Former Kano State Governor and 2023 NNPP presidential candidate, Sen. Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, has confirmed that he is in consultations with the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), the Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) and other political stakeholders as he considers his next political move ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement on Saturday, Kwankwaso said no final decision had been taken on his political future or that of his associates, despite recent media reports suggesting an imminent realignment.
“The recent Supreme Court judgment, while affirming the legitimacy of the David Mark-led National Working Committee, also remitted the matter back to the High Court. This has left the party in a precarious position,” he said, referring to the ADC.
He pointed to additional legal uncertainties, including a Federal High Court ruling that delegitimised the ADC’s recent convention and an application by the Attorney General of the Federation seeking to deregister the party.
“We left the NNPP due to externally influenced legal problems that made our stay perilous. The ADC has now also been forced into this difficulty,” Kwankwaso said.
As a result, he said he and other key stakeholders have initiated broad consultations to explore the best options for protecting their democratic interests.
“Consequently, like other major stakeholders, we have commenced wide-ranging consultations — including with leaders from the NDC, PRP and others,” he stated, adding that a formal announcement would be made “in the soonest possible time.”
Kwankwaso also addressed speculation about the ADC presidential ticket, stressing that the party has yet to zone its candidacy or name a flagbearer. “I have therefore neither declared any intention to run for president nor endorsed any aspirant. All speculations to the contrary are premature and unfounded,” he said.
He cited his record of placing party unity above personal ambition, recalling that he came second to President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2014 APC presidential primary and later supported him to victory. In 2019, he contested the PDP presidential ticket and served as Atiku Abubakar’s campaign coordinator in the North.
The former minister also explained his absence from two recent ADC stakeholders’ meetings, saying it was due to “unavoidable personal commitments,” which he communicated to the party leadership.
With the Independent National Electoral Commission setting May 30, 2026, as the deadline for parties to submit membership lists and nominate candidates, Kwankwaso’s consultations signal that Nigeria’s opposition landscape remains fluid as 2027 approaches.
